Juicing?!!

YES.  I’ve jumped on the bandwagon.  Get over it.

BTW- almost 2 months since a post…. I’ve sort of been in a slump.  Still trying to dig myself out.

ANYHOO there are a million articles about why to juice and juice recipes, but I kind of wanted to focus on the actual PROCESS of it.  Like the prep, the juicing, and then the cleanup.  Okay, fine, I will probably post a couple recipes, too.  But only because I like making them up and seeing what happens.

I have a Breville variable speed juicer.  It was $199 from Amazon.  It’s cool!  I read a lot about juicers and the different kinds, but this is what I settled for.  It had a ton of good reviews and was less than $200.   RIGHT, so let’s get down to it.

I am sort of creepily methodical about doing this.  I guess because I feel overwhelmed and desperate when the kitchen gets really dirty.  So I like to start with a clean slate (clean countertops).   I’ve been known to clean other people’s countertops, too.  I never really thought of myself as OCD, but I guess I am to a degree.

I plug in the juicer, and put out a plate (or two) for the items that will be juiced.

On the other side of the sink, I lay out the cutting board and everything that I plan to use to make the juice.

I prepare all the vegetables/fruits and try to sort them according to hardness.  What I mean is that I like to start with the soft things and require a low setting on the juicer, and work my way up through the speeds.  I think I read that I should do that in the manual.  Or I just made it up.  But in any event, here are the items going in!

Before I start, I rinse off the cutting board, and put it away.  Then I lay out one of those absorbent drying mats.  (I told you I was uncharacteristically orderly about this.)

Okay, so NOW I am ready to juice.  Like I mentioned, I start with the spinach on a 1.  I bunch it up into a mass, and then put the lime on top of it.  I SLOOOOWWWWLY push down on the plunger…. when I deem the lime is approaching the grater, I knock the speed up to a 2.  Don’t be scared- there is a list of recommended speed settings in the manual.  You get a feel for it eventually.

I just made the point of going slowly because these kinds of juicers are apparently not the best with soft leafy greens.  So the slower you go, the more juice you coax out of it.

OKAY I’M SORRY BUT I’M POSTING THE RECIPE.  This is one I made up and named, “Green Death.”  Sounds tasty, I know!

• 1 massive handful of spinach, balled up tight
• 1 lime, peeled
• 1 lump ginger
• 6 stalks Swiss chard
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1 whole crown broccoli

So that is what went in….in that order.  After I was done, I rinsed the plates and put them away.  I unplug the machine and put the pitcher of juice aside… or pour it into a tall glass with ice to get it cold.  I don’t like tepid vegetable juice.  Here’s the machine when I’ve finished:

I pull out the plunger, and then pull down the “safety arm” (the metal L thing you see) and take off the top piece.  Check it out!  I can see this part being really annoying if you didn’t have a garbage disposal in your sink.

I pull up the grinder carefully, and then the piece under it:

So here in the sink (minus the pitcher itself) are the pieces of the juicer that you need to clean.

For the record, I actually rinse each piece as I remove them and put them right on the mat to dry.  The only thing that ever sits in the sink it the grinder piece.  I don’t even always use soap.  I rinse them under hot water and then set them out to dry.  I probably actually wash the pieces every other day.  Not so much because I am afraid of germs, but moreso because I am afraid citric acid may begin to break down the plastic or something.  Apparently everything is top-shelf dishwasher safe, but I am afraid.  This was sort of a big investment for us.

The ONLY piece that can be a little annoying (though it doesn’t really bother me) is the grinder.

I rub off some of the debris on the outside with my fingertips, and then soak that in hot soapy water for 10 minutes or so.  Or an hour, or when I think to go clean it.  A brush is provided to help you scrub it.  You REALLY have to get it clean, otherwise you rob yourself of juice.

OH and the pulp is in the plastic bag, which you can use in cooking, compost, or unceremoniously throw away.  I don’t like the idea of eating stuff that sat in a shopping bag, though.  But it’s soooooo much easier.  =/

OH and of course the juice itself:

I am going to say it is an acquired taste.  I am starting to like it more.  The first green one I made was pretty close to gross.  It takes me forever to drink them, too- like over an hour.  The melting ice makes it nicer for me.  Justin just chugs the stuff down… I really don’t know how he manages it.

So!  That was my really detailed and probably boring description of using a juicer.  The only other thing I will mention is that you need to have a bit of counterspace for it…. preferably NOT under a cabinet, for obvious reasons.  I don’t especially love having it there, but I am more likely to use it when it handy to use.  I *DO* consider it worth it if you don’t eat many vegetables.  I certainly was not eating enough raw vegetables!

Feel free to ask questions.  =)